Tantanmen Ramen Recipe (Soupless - 汁なし坦々麺)

sesame paste

🥗Healthier: tahini

💰Cheaper: peanut butter

Tahini provides a similar nutty flavor with fewer calories.

ground pork

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Ground turkey is leaner while ground beef is often more affordable.

chili oil

🥗Healthier: olive oil with chili flakes

💰Cheaper: hot sauce

Hot sauce can provide similar heat at a lower cost.

ramen noodles

🥗Healthier: whole wheat noodles

💰Cheaper: spaghetti

Spaghetti can substitute in a pinch and is usually cheaper.

Prepare the sauce by adding 1.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of neri goma (or tahini), 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of daiyu, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil into a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds and 2 grams of katsuobushi to a mortar and grind into a powder using a pestle or a spice grinder.

Mix the ground katsuobushi and sesame seeds into the sauce ingredients until smooth and free of lumps.

Add 1/4 cup of boiling water to the sauce and whisk everything together.

In a large bowl, combine 150 grams of ground pork with 1 tablespoon of meating, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground sichuan pepper. Mix without mashing into a paste.

Chop 30 grams of scallions, setting aside a quarter of the greens for garnish.

Put a large pot of water on to boil for the noodles.

In a frying pan over medium heat, add the chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Saute until they start to turn brown.

Grate 1 large clove of garlic and an equal amount of ginger.

Once the scallions are brown, add the grated garlic and ginger to the pan and saute until everything starts to brown.

Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

When the aromatics are browned, add 1 tablespoon of dobanjan and stir to toast the chili paste.

Add the ground pork to the pan, cooking while crumbling it with a spatula to avoid large chunks.

Once the noodles are done, drain them and shake off excess water. Place them in a bowl and drizzle on the prepared sauce, tossing with tongs to combine.

Transfer the cooked pork onto the noodles and garnish with the reserved scallion greens, fried onions for crunch, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary